Lappet-shearing mechanism



(No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet 1. E. T. & E. H. MARBLE. LAPPET SHEARINGMECHANISM. No. 604,772. I Patented May 31,1898.

(No Model.) V 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. E. T. 85 E. H. MARBLE. LAPPET SHEARINGMECHANISM.

No.- 604,772. Patented May 31, 1898.

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EDlVIN T. MARBLE AND EDWVIN H. MARBLE, OF \VORCESTER,

MASSACHUSETTS.

LAPPET- SHEARBNG lVlECHANlSWl.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 604,772, dated May 31,1898. Application filed August 26, 1897. Serial No. 649,571. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that we, EDWIN T. MARBLE and EDWIN H. MARBLE, citizens ofthe United States, residing at Worcester, in the county of WorcesterandState of llilassachusettsdiave invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Lappet Shearing Mechanism, of which the following,together with the accompanying drawings, is a specification sufficientlyfull, clear, and exact to enable persons skilled in the art to whichthis invention appertains to make and use the same.

Our present invention relates to a novel combination, withcloth-shearing appliances, of mechanism organized for automaticallyimparting to the lappet or similar cloth a draft or feed action thatwill bring the weft or filling threads into skewed or oblique positions,right or left, relatively to the warp-threads and which will feed ordeliver the web of fabric while maintaining such skewed relation and inevenly-spread condition through the shearing or clipping machinery,thereby cansin g the connecting-loops or bridge-threads between thelappet figures, or such of them as lie in one direction of inclination,to be thrown up in a manner that will facilitate their successfulremoval from the surface of the fabric by a continuous passage of thesame over the shear-rest.

The prime object of our invention is to pro vide facilities, inconnection with ordinary cloth-shearing machinery, for convenientlyhandling'lappet-cloth or similar fabrics in such manner that theshearing or clipping of the bridge-threads from the fabric can bereadily and efficiently performed by passing the web of fabric throughthe direct shearing process by repeated longitudinal runs, the fabricbeing fed through the shear first with a greater or less degree of skewor transverse obliquity in its weft, which slackens and loops out thebridge-threads lying in one direction, so that they project from thebody of the fabric and are presented to the shearing cutters, and thenin a second run of the fabric skewing its weft in an opposite directionof obliquity,which slackens and loops out the rem aining bridge-threadsand exposes them to the action of the shear, as more fully hereinafterexplained.

Another object is to provide means for mechanically imparting a suitableskew to the fabric and maintaining the same uniformly skewed during itspassage through a shear; also, to afford means for regulation and adjustment of the mechanism to give greater or less amount of skew to thelappetcloth.

Another object is to provide facilities for taking out the oblique setor eliminating the skew from the fabric and rolling up the web of fabricstraight, or otherwise, when desired, simply rolling the fabric inskewed condition for a second passage through the machine.

YVe attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the drawings,wherein Figure 1 is a plan View. Fig. 2 is a trans verse elevation ofthe feed-carrier. Fig. 8 is a plan view of the carrier-base segment.Fig. 4 is a side view of the tension device employed for various rolls.Fig. 5 is alongitudinal vertical sect-ion at line X X on Fig. 1, withthe carriers adjusted at a right angle to the line of draft; and Fig. 6is a detail of the drive-chain take-up for the receiving-carrier.

As illustrated, our machine comprises the following-described combinedparts in general: the feed or delivering carrier A, a stand ofhorizontal tension-bars B, the shearing machinery O, a deflecting meansD, and the receiving-carrier F, which general parts we will nowseverally describe more in detail.

The shearing mechanism 0 employed in carrying out our invention may beof the wellknown class of cloth shearing mechanism comprising the rotaryblade-cylinder or revolver c, a stationary ledger-blade c and an angularrest 0 over which the fabric passes in its presentation to theshearing-blades at the point or line where the revolver coacts with theledger-blade in usual manner. Mounted upon the shear-frame 0 there is apair of powerdriven draft-rolls E, that serve to advance the fabricthrough the machine, and a pair of pinch-rolls G, having an adjustabletension-brake G on the shaft of one roll, that serve to give therequired tension or drag, and a spreader-bar g for laying the fabricsmooth in its passage over the shear-rest 0 also guide rolls or bars Jand J for directing the course of the cloth. The tension-brake G for thepinch-rolls G is preferably of similar structure and operation to thatillustrated in Fig. land hereinafter described.

The belting and gearing for operating the shear-revolver, thedraft-rolls, and other portions of the shearing-machine may be ofwellknown construction and operation and need not be herein particularlydescribed.

In accordance with our invention we provide in front of the shearingmachinery a pivotally-arranged carrier A, adapted for carrying orsupporting the web of lappet-cloth and delivering the same at anyrequired degree of right or left oblique inclination relatively to thegeneral direction of feed through the shear. Said carrier consists of aframe A, having upright housings a, in which is journaled a supportingdrum or roll A with jaws a above its journals for the reception of theshaft of the cloth-winding roller or beam W, which can be lifted intoand from the carrier-jaws a at will, the roll of cloth resting upon thetop of the supportdrum A and unrolling thereon as the drum turns.

The carrier-frame is best seated upon a horizontal bed-segment II, fixedto the floor or fundamental support, and which segment is provided witha circular guide or track h, upon which the carrier has oscillativehorizontal adjustment, said carrier-frame being pivoted to the bed-plateat I by a vertical stud. The carrier-pivot is disposed at the centralline of the machine, but is in the present instance and preferablylocated considerably out of line with the transverse axis of thecarrier-frame, so that the swing of the carrier on its pivot I givesmore or less lateral bodily movement in connection with the obliqueadjustment. The segmental edge of the bed-plate has an overhangingflange 2', and the carrier-frame base has an under-lipped slide 7&engaging therewith; also, if desired, means for firmly clamping said lipand flange together for locking the carrier at positions of obliqueadjustment. Such clamp devices may not in all cases be required and canin some instances be omitted, as the weight of the carrier-frame willgenerally retain its position.

The shaft of the carrier-drum A is provided with an adjustabletension-brake L, preferably of the kind shown in Fig. 4, consisting of adisk L, fixed on the shaft and surrounded by a non-rotatableclasping-band L faced with leather and connected to a rigid stud L thebrake being controlled in its degree of frictional pressure by a thumb-screw L in well-known form and manner.

K indicates a sprocket-chain secured to an arm a attached to thecarrier-frame A and passing around a guide-sprocket 7c and around asprocket fixed to the foot of an upright shaft K mounted in a standingframe K and furnished with a hand-wheel K this combination affordingconvenient means for controlling or varying the swinging adjustment ofthe carrier mechanism, as may be required for any particular conditionof fabric to be operated upon.

As regards the swinging carriers we do not confine our invention to thisparticular handwheel and chain as a means for shifting the carrier-frame, since said carrier may be otherwise shifted by hand or by anysuitable means, as a lever or handle K shown in connection with thereceiving-carrier.

The stand B of the horizontal tension-bars is located at right angle tothe general line of draft or parallel with the axis of the shearrevolverc. The lower bar I) is at a level substantially corresponding to that atwhich the cloth is delivered from the carrier-drum and its top bars I)at position facing the breastrolls G of the shear.

At the back of the shear there is a high guide-r0111, mounted inbearings on suitable standards P, while near the bottom of theshear-frame we provide rearwardly-projecting brackets or arms D,uponwhichis secured, by bolts d, the deflecting spreader bar D, which can beadjusted to various positions and in either right or left obliquerelation.

In rear of the shearing apparatus we provide the pivotally-arrangedreceiving-carrier F, which is adapted for right or left inclinedadjustment. Its general construction may be somewhat similar to thefeed-carrier and comprising the segment bed plate H and swinging frameF, pivoted thereto at I and having the under-lock flange t" and lippedbearing piece h, also provided with end housings f, having thesupporting-drum F mounted therein and furnished with suitable means forits rotation by power for winding the cloth upon the winding roller orbeam W carried upon said drum and retained by the jaws f. Astretcher-roll S is in the present instance shown combined with thewinding support-drum F also a guide-bar s at its front. Said guide-barand stretcher-roll may, however, in some instances be omitted.

For imparting motion to the winding-drum F we employ a band ordrive-chain R, leading from a pulley or sprocket-wheel "r on thedraft-roll shaft E to a pulley or sprocketwheel f 4 on the drum-shaft,said band or chain passing upward and around suitable overheadguide-wheels Q, and thence down to the receiving-carrier in nearlyvertical direction, so as to admit of the carrier F being swung to rightor left inclination without material derangement in the run of the chainR. A take-up device T, (see Fig. 6,) consisting of an idler-pulley t,carried on a swinging lever t, fulcrumed on the frame 0 at t and havingits opposite arm connected with a spring t is combined with the chain Rfor accommodating any increase or diminution of tension thereon due tothe radial shifting of the carrier-frame F.

In some instances instead of passing the cloth through the stand oftension-bars it may be fed direct from the drum A to theshearing-machine, to the front guide roll J and thence to thepinch-rolls G or spreaderbar g, but we deem it preferable to employ thetension-bars as specified; nor is it in all cases necessary that therolls G be used as a pair of pinch-rolls, since a single roll, similarto the lower one, may in some instances be employed, the top roll beingomitted and the cloth directed thereto in a mannerto have additional lapor contact for obtaining the desired degree of friction.

In the weaving of lappet-patterns the individual figures are usuallyoffset from each other, so that the bridge-threads-i. 6., the floatingportion of threads that reach idly from one figure to another-extenddiagonally to the right, or vice versa, from the first figure to thenext and then diagonally to the left from that figure to the succeedingone, thus alternating in their direction over the surface of the cloth,so that by skewing the fabric one set of bridge-threads are slackenedand the other set drawn taut, the particular set slackened depending onthe direction in which the fabric is skewed. Hence by successivelyskewing the fabric first in one direction and then in the oppositedirection all of the bridge-threads can be brought into subj ectiverelation for shearing.

In the operation of our invention the position and course of the web ofcloth as it passes through the machine are indicated by the dotted linesW. The lappet-cloth is primarily wound upon the roll or bar WV, which isplaced upon the feed-carrier A, the cloth passed under the carrierdrum Aand bar Z) and over the bars Z), thence to the pinch-rolls G,ovcr thespreader-bar g and shearing-rest c and then under the guide-rolls J andJ to the draft-rolls E, by which it is advanced in continuous run. Thecarrier A is given such degree of angularity or horizontal obliquitythat the lappet-cloth in passing from the roll or drum to the shear(principally before the bars 1)) will be pulled or drawn so as to bringits weft into skewed position or more or less oblique to their normalcondition by reason of one edge of the cloth feeding at an ad- Vance ofthe other edge, such oblique or skew being uniformly maintainedthroughout the web by the action of the delivery and feed mechanisms.This skewing of the cloth slackens the bridge-threads that lie in onedirection across the spaces between the lappet figures, raising theloops thereof so that they will be clipped off in passing theshear-blades.

The cloth, when delivered from the draft-rolls E, is carried over thehigh guide P, and thence down under the deflecting-bar D and backward tothe receiving-carrier F, where it passes over the guide bar S, aroundthe stretcher-roll S and the drum F and is rolled up or wound onto thebeam-roll 'W for subsequent treatment or as finished product.

As a result of the adjustable bar D and the swinging adjustment of thereceiving-carrier F we are enabled to handle and Wind the cloth (whichcomes through the draft-rolls E with the same degree of skew orobliquity imparted thereto by the skew-feed appliances) either with theskew maintained therein or with an oppositely-inclined skew, or, again,with the skew taken out or eliminated and the cloth rolled with its wefttransversely straight, according to the particular positions ofadjustment of the parts. By means of this angular adjustment the clothin its passage from the high-guide roll to the receiving-carrier isdeflected from the direct line of travel, and the distance being madelonger along the line of one selvage than the distance along the otherthe previous advanced edge by its longer travel is offset or retarded,so that the transverse line of the weft-threads in the cloth is againstraightened or brought into normal original condition.

The receiving-carrier F is shown in the drawings as at straightposition, but may be swung on its pivot to either right or leftadjustment, as indicated by radial lines on Fig. 1, so as to receive thecloth from the bar or guide under such direction and strain as willcause it to wind onto the beam-roll without crawling endwise thereof.hen the cloth is wound thereon, the beam-roll can be lifted from thereceiving-carrier and transferred to the feedcarrier A for a second runthrough the shear, and the inclination of the carrier can then bereversed for imparting an opposite skew to the weft of the fabric,thereby causing the bridge-threads lying in different direction fromthose previously sheared to slacken and loop out, so as to be taken offby the cutters.

The amount of oblique trend or skew required in the fabrics varies underdifferent conditions, as style,weight of goods, and forms and sizes ofpatterns. This is accommodated by varied angular adjustment of thecarriers. Furthermore, the right and left obliquity are not necessarilythe same in degree, since the loss of the first set of bridge-threadsrenders the fabric weakerin its strain over the shearrest. Consequentlythe oblique adjustment of the feed-carrier must be greater or to someextent modified to accommodate the peculiarities of the fabric under itschanged condition or of its particular class of weave if thebridge-threads are originally of a varied character, as with some stylesof figures.

It will be understood that we do not claim as of our invention theprimal idea, broadly, of skewing a lappet-cloth to facilitate theshearing of the same, since such method has heretofore been attemptedbya hand-pulling of the fabric in connection with means of differentnature from that herein represented; but our invention relates to theorganized mechanism as herein defined.

WVhat we claim as of ourinvention, and de sire to secure by LettersPatent, is

1. The combination, with a clothshearing mechanism, and the guides andparallel rolls at front and rear thereof, that maintain the spread andcontrol the feed of the fabric in a direct or laterally unwaveringcourse of ad vancement while passing the shearing-cutters; of thefeed-carrier frame having the rotatable delivery-dru 111 and beam-rollmounted in bearings thereon and adapted for the support and delivery ofthe fabric; said feed-carrier frame arranged adjustable to right andleft oblique positions for working said drum in skewed relation to theguides and rolls that control the shear-feed, and means substantially asdescribed for transposing the 0bliquely-delivered web of fabric, skewedand spread, into straight alinement with its line of advancement at theshear.

2. The combination, with a cloth-shearing mechanism, its draft or feedrolls, and the pinch-rolls that hold the fabric taut preceding theshearing-cutters; of the obliquely-adjustable feed-carrier frame and thefeed-carrier drum, disposed in front of said pinchrolls, saidcarrier-frame pivoted to its supporting-base at a point central in thelength and forward of the vertical plane passing through the feedcarrier axis; said carrierframe adjustable about said pivot for swingingthe feed-carrier drum to right or left angularity for delivering thefabric in a direction oblique to the line of the shear-feed; and a guideintermediate to said carrier and pinch-rolls, adapted for regulating theskew tension of the fabric, and presenting the skewed fabric in spreadcondition and directed straight in the line of the shear-feed.

3. In combination, as hereinbefore described, with a cloth-shearingmachine,a feedcarrier comprising the segment bed-plate having theflanged edge, the swinging carrierframe resting upon and pivoted to saidbedplate, and provided with end housings having bearings for thecarrier-drum, the jaw-openings for the reception of the winding-beamshaft, the carrier-drum mounted in said bearings, the friction-brake onsaid drum-shaft, and means for effecting and securing the swingadjustment of said carrier-frame.

4. In a machine for skewing and shearing lappet-cloth, the combinationwith the shearing mechanism and stationary guide-stand, of thelaterally-swinging feed-carrier frame having the frictionally-controlledsupportingdrum and removable cloth-winding beam mounted thereon, the arma fixed on said carrier-frame, the sprocket-chain K attached to arm a ofsaid carrier-frame, the upright shaft-stand K the shaft K the hand-wheelK and sprocket-wheel K fixed on said shaft, said sprocket-wheel engagingsaid chain, and the guiding-wheel K, as shown and described.

5. The combination, with the shearing mechanism comprising theshearing-revolver and ledger-blade, cloth-rest, draft-rolls andpinch-rolls; of the front tension-stand having a series of transversebars that even and direct the fabric straight to said pinch-rolls; andthe obliquelyadjustable feed carrier frame having thereon thesupporting-drum ranged between said high-guide roll and thereceiving-carrier, substantially as set forth.

7. The combination with the cloth-shearing mechanism, and meanscomprising pinchrolls and draft-rolls for directly advancing the cloththerethrough; of'an obliquely-adjustable feed-carrier and front guideadapted for automatically rendering the cloth in skewed condition; arear guide, and an obliquely-adjustable receiving-carrier having thesupportingdrum and winding-beam mou nted thereon, and adapted forcontrolling the skew in the rewinding of the cloth, and means forrotating said drum, all substantially as set forth.

8. In a machine for shearing lappet-cloth, the combination of thecloth-shearing mechanism, its draft-rolls, and means for feeding saidshear; of the receiving-carrier adapted for use in right or left obliquerelation to said shear, and carrying thereon means for winding up thecloth; a deflecting-guide situated for action on the fabric between saiddraftrolls and said receiving-carrier; said deflecting-guide andreceiving-carrier being respectively adjustable to varied inclination inrelation to the draft-roll axis and to each other, and means foroperating the winding-up devices, substantially as and for the purposeset forth.

9. In a cloth-shearing machine of the character described, therearwardly-projecting brackets or arms D and the spreader-bar D adjustably secured upon said arms and adapted for right or left obliqueadjustment, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

10. The combination, with the shearing mechanism, its cloth-guides anddraft-rolls; of the receiving-carrier comprising the laterally-swingingpivoted carrier-frame, the supporting-drum mounted in bearings thereon,the stretcher-roller adjacent to said drum, the drive-chain connectingfrom a sprocket on the draft-roll shaft, to a sprocket on thedrum-shaft, and the overhead guides for said chain, for the purpose setforth.

Witness our hands this 23d day of August, 1897.

EDWIN T. MARBLE. EDIVIN II. MARBLE. Vitnesses:

CHAs. H. BURLEIGH, CHARLES S. BACON.

